Miniature saddle



e 1941- M. E. sows-rem 2,252,971

MINIATURE SADDLE Filed March 28, 1941 INVENTOR. MORRIS EGOLDSTEIN ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,252,971 MINIATURE SADDLE Morris E. Goldstein, Denver, 0010.

Application March 28, 1941, Serial No. 385,640

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in miniature saddles of the type known as western roping saddles.

In the western States, where cattle raising is,

c or has been a prominent industry, tourists desire to obtain souvenirs that have some reference to the cattle industry and to the picturesque cowboys associated therewith. 7

It is the object of this invention to produce a miniature saddle that is a comparatively accu- In order to manufacture this miniature saddle at a reasonable price, it is necessary to reduce the cost, and one way of doing this is to eliminate as much sewing and cutting as possible, which, in the present case is effected by means of this invention in which the saddle top is formed from a single piece of leather in a manner which will hereinafter be described.

Another object of this invention is to construct a saddle top of the desired shape in such a manner that it will retain its shape indefinitely.

A further object is to construct a miniature saddle in such a way that the usual saddle tree can be dispensed with.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as this description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail and for this purpose reference will be had to ,the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is. a side elevation showing a miniature saddle constructed in accordance with this invention; t

Figure 2 is a cross section of the unitary. saddle top taken on line 2-2, F re 3; and Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the unitary saddle top taken on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawing, reference numeral 5 designates the saddle top as a whole and reference numeral 6 designates that portion of the. saddle to which the top is secured. Reference numeral 1 shows one of the leg protectors to which the stirrup 8 is attached and reference numeral 9 designates the cinch, while reference reference numeral l0 designates the horn. The saddle top is provided with a swell fork H and a cantle I2, both of which are formed from the saddle. top 5 by means of suitable dies which press the material outwardly into the desired shape. That portion between the swell fork and the cantle which has been designated by reference numeral i3 is the seat. It will be observed from Figure 2 that the swell fork ll forms a transversely extending ridge whose shape is clearly indicated in the three figures of the drawing. Since the swell fork is formed by pressing upwardly a portion of the oak tanned leather forming the saddle top, the lower surface will be transversely concave and this is also true of the cantle. It is evident that if the saddle top was not provided with reenforcing'means, the swell fork and the cantle would be very likely to change their shape when subjected to rough usage and thus spoil the appearance of the saddle. For the purpose of reenforcing the walls of the swell fork and cantle and to assure that they will retain their shape indeflnitely,in spite of rough usage, the depression in the'inner surface which extends upwardly into the cantle, is filled with a cementitious material M which is applied in plastic state and allowed to harden in place.' The material must generally employed for this purpose is ordinary horn glue, but any other cehardened, the swell fork and the cantle become rigid and highly resistant to forces tending to change their shapes. It will be observed that the saddle top has a portion Hl that extends a short distance to the rear of the cantle.

v The lines indicated by reference numeral ll are burned into the leather so as to give it the appearance of an ordinary saddle, which has seams corresponding to lines 11 and are employed for ornamentation only.

From Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the saddle top 5 is so shaped as to form a transversely, upwardly convex part, a portion of which forms the seat l3.' The swell fork and the cantle extend transversely in a manner quite clearly disclosed in the drawing.

Since this invention relates to the saddletop and not to the entire saddle assembly, the actual construction of the saddle has not been shown nor described, as'this is believed to be immaterial so far as the disclosure (pertaining to the unitary preformed saddle top is concerned.

The saddle top is usually made from the same kind of leather ordinarily employed in the construction of saddles which leather is oak tanned and has considerable rigidity and is of such a I nature that it will retain any form given thereto by dies against the action of ordinary forces. The reenforcing of the swell fork and the cantle by means of the cementitious material is of great importance in saddles of this type as they are frequently handled by children and others who as new is:

1. A' preformed top for miniature saddles, comprising a singlepiece of leather curved transversely to form an upwardly convex seat, a portion of-the material near one end being curved upwardly to form a transversely extending swell fork whose under surface is concave, a portion of the material at the other end of the seat being curved upwardly to form a transversely extending cantle, theunder side of the cantle being concave, and self-hardening cementitious material in the depressions in the concave under surfaces of the swell fork and the cantle, said cementitious material serving as means for retaining the shapes of the swell fork and the cantle.

2. A preformed miniature saddle top comprising, a single piece of leather curved transversely to form an upwardly convex seat, a portion directly in front of the seat being curved upwardly to form a transversely extending swell fork, the under surface of the swell fork being concave, a piece of wood or the like positioned in the concave depression in the under surface of the swell fork, a horn having a portion extending through the 7 material of the swell fork and into the wood, a

portion of the top at the rear of the seat portion beingcurved upwardly'to form a transversely extending cantle, the under surface of the cantle being concave, and salt-hardening cementitious material in the depressions in the under surfaces of the swell fork and of the cantle, said cementl- MORRIS E. GOLDSTEIN. 

